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In trying to understand my own burnout, “control” (or lack thereof) is a dominant theme. This is nothing new. In fact, I doubt I’m unearthing bones not already thoroughly analyzed. But I can give instructive personal examples...

In a remarkable number of cases of medical errors, it’s clear — again, in retrospect — that there were signs that something was amiss, but they were ignored. The reasons are manifold: I was just too busy, things are always glitchy around here, I didn’t want to be branded a troublemaker by speaking up…. Part of the work of patient safety has been to alert us to this risk, to get us to trust our internal “spidey-sense..."

Bacteria will inevitably find ways of resisting the antibiotics that are developed, which is why aggressive action is needed now to keep new resistance from developing and to prevent the resistance that already exists from spreading. Hospitals should collaborate with the facility’s clinical pharmacy department, infection preventionists, and pharmacy and therapeutics committee to closely monitor trends and take action as necessary...

February 6, 2014 9:39 am |
by Lars Thording, Vice President of Marketing and Public Affairs, Intralign |
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Everyone understands there are many factors that need to be addressed to be able to better serve our future surgical patient’s needs, but qualified physician extenders will be critical in getting us there...

"The future of robotic surgery can be determined only by probing the possibilities. To ignore the potential for extending the boundaries and safety of surgical care with robotic technology seems unwise." -- Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons...

A hospital can be a very dangerous place to be. Here are four frightening risks hospitals pose, along with their causes and some easy-to-implement solutions that could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year...

Under the current patient-centered medical home paradigm, being labeled a high-risk patient is an advantage. Lots of resources will be poured into your care. People will be calling you at home all the time, helping make sure you take your medicines, get your tests done, see your specialists, come back for follow-up. But who would want to be labeled high risk?

Now that we’re into the real heart of the ACA, with the most key provisions now implemented as of January 1, 2014, what has really changed? Has the government prevented you from seeing any doctor you wish? Have your taxes gone up exponentially? Are you now paying more for healthcare and getting less? Has a “death panel” convened to decide your fate? Or has life, somehow, gone on much as it did before?

By way of disclaimer, many of my favorite patients are dependent on Medicaid. I love them and I am happy to see them, whether for their child’s earache or their own pneumonia or injury. Many people truly need the program, and it helps them … at least in the short term. However, it is hurting medicine — both primary care and emergency care...

Many physicians are unsure about how the Affordable Care Act will affect their bottom line. This study attempts to provide an objective analysis of that important information for providers of emergency services. Based on these data, emergency physicians and hospitals serving large numbers of uninsured patients can expect to be paid more after implementation of the ACA...

The Friday Four seeks to highlight some of the people behind some of the interesting stories I stumble upon during my daily search for relevant content. This week's list features an adorable toddler, a politician, among others. Happy Friday!